Analysis flow monitoring and human trafficking surveys in the Mediterranean and beyond 6 October 201

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond

ANALYSIS: FLOW MONITORING SURVEYS

THE

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND OTHER EXPLOITATIVE PRACTICES PREVALENCE INDICATION SURVEY REPORTING PERIOD

4,328

JUNE 2016—SEPTEMBER 2016

INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED IN THE PERIOD FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2016 BY IOM IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, GREECE, HUNGARY, SERBIA, AND ITALY

CONTENTS About DTM’s Flow Monitoring Surveys Human Trafficking and Other Exploitative Practices Prevalence Indication Survey: - Central Mediterranean Route - Eastern Mediterranean Route The Context of Central and of Eastern Mediterranean Route Methodology Interview form

Disclaimer: Base Map Source: ESRI. This map is for illustration purposes only. Boundaries and names used and designations shown do not imply do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.

Visit IOM’s interactive map to view data on flows: migration.iom.int/europe

ABOUT DTM’S FLOW MONITORING SURVEYS This research started in October 2015 and is being conducted within the framework of IOM’s research on populations on the move through the Mediterranean and Western Balkan Routes to Europe. This round of surveys contains the findings of IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) and it has been carried out

by IOM field staff in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, and Italy.

The survey gathers information about migrants’ profiles, including age, sex, areas of origin, levels of education, key transit points on their route, cost of journey, motives, and intentions. The survey also includes six questions that are proxy indicators for potential human trafficking or exploitative practices that the migrants and refugees interviewed might have experienced.

ANALYSIS OVERVIEW

This week’s report focuses on providing an analysis on migrants and refugees travelling along the Central Mediterranean Route and the Eastern Mediterranean Route. The first section provides analysis on interviewees` responses to human trafficking and other exploitative prevalence indicators. The second section explains the context of the two migration routes.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION CONTACTS  dtmsupport@iom.int Displacement Tracking Matrix @IOM_News migration.iom.int  +41.22.7179.271

IOM Information Gathering activities are supported by:

1

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond ď‚&#x;

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

SECTION 1. COUNTER-TRAFFICKING SURVEY ON THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN ROUTE AND THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ROUTE ABOUT THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVALENCE INDICATION SURVEY

AND

OTHER EXPLOITATIVE PRACTICES

This section presents findings from the Human Trafficking and Other Exploitative Practices Prevalence Indication Survey in the Central Mediterranean and the Eastern Mediterranean Routes.

The DTM’s Flow Monitoring Survey which includes questions that indicate the prevalence on human trafficking and other exploitative practices was introduced in June 2016 in the Central Mediterranean Route. It has a sample of 2,783 migrants and refugees who were interviewed in 20 different locations in Sicily (Italy), on whose answers the findings in this report are based. The Eastern Mediterranean Flow Monitoring Survey on human trafficking and other exploitative practices prevalence indicators started earlier, in December 2015. This analysis includes a sample of 1,545 migrants and refugees who were interviewed from June 2016 until the end of September 2016, on which findings on the Eastern Mediterranean Route are based.

The survey includes six questions that are proxy indicators for potential human trafficking or exploitative practices that the migrants and refugees interviewed might have experienced. Five survey indicator-questions refer to the experiences of individual and family travelling with the respondents, and a sixth question refers to a situation witnessed by the respondent (that could also include individual experience, or the experience of a family member).

The findings provide strong evidence of predatory behavior in the environments through which extremely vulnerable populations are having to make their journey. A significant proportion of respondents reported direct experiences of abuse, exploitation or practices which may amount to human trafficking. Since surveys are fully anonymous, the operations are not designed to definitively identify victims of trafficking per se, rather, they provide strong evidence of the kind of enabling environment within which human trafficking thrives and a picture of the vulnerability of migrant populations and the risks they face.

However, in locations where there are existing Counter-Trafficking support structures the data collection operations do act as point of reference. It is not known how many vulnerable people have been unsuccessful in attempting to transit through these dangerous environments.

2

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond 

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

RESULTS CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN ROUTE This section presents results of the DTM Flow Monitoring Survey conducted between the end of June and the end of September 2016 in Sicily, Italy. Out of 2,957 migrants met, excluding those who preferred not to be interviewed (160) and those who already had participated in the survey (14), the final sample is composed of 2,783 valid responses of migrants coming from 38 different countries of origin.

Main findings: 71% of individuals answered “yes” to at least one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators included in the survey based on their own direct experience.

An additional 4% of respondents reported that a family member travelling with him/her experienced a situation described by one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators.

52% of respondents responded positively to at least 2 out of 5 indicators of trafficking and other exploitative practices.

79% of individuals who have already spent at least one year in a country that is different to their country of nationality, responded positively. The rate was only 68% among those respondents who were not in these circumstances. These findings show that migrants who make secondary movements after longer periods in transit countries/expatriation are more vulnerable North African migrants interviewed (nationals of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Sudan) are significantly less likely to answer positively to one or more trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators, than any other migrants. Migrants from Gambia, Nigeria, Guinea and other Western African countries have higher rates of positive responses than individuals from the Horn of Africa and from Western and South Asia1.

Events captured by the five trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators included in the questionnaire are reported to take place mostly in Libya. Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Niger, Bangladesh, Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mauritania, South Sudan, Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Chad, Senegal, Gambia were also reported by respondents in fewer cases.

Direct experiences Individuals who were held against their will: 49% of respondents reported having been held in a location against their will during their journey, by armed individuals or groups other than any relevant governmental authorities. The majority of reported events fell into the category of kidnapping for the purpose of requesting a ransom or of detention by armed individuals and physical restrictions of movement to a closed space, such as a house or a garage. More than half of the men interviewed (52%) and 33 per cent of women reported being held captive/against their will. Libya is the country reported in the vast majority of cases, followed by Egypt, Algeria and Sudan. ____________________ 1

Sub-regional aggregations are based on UN definition of continents and regions. In the presented analysis North Africa includes: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia; Western Africa includes: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo; Middle Africa includes: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon; Eastern Africa includes: Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan; Southern Asia includes: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan; Western Asia includes: Iraq, Israel, State of Palestine, Syria, Yemen.

3

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond ď‚&#x;

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

Individuals who had worked without being paid2: 50% of all interviewees reported having worked or provided services for someone during their journey without receiving the expected remuneration in return. Migrants often referred of some sort of threat by an armed individual (employer/broker), or that their unpaid work was connected with the possibility of being freed from a condition of detention by unofficial armed groups or in a way compensated with securing a place on a vessel that will bring them to Europe. Indeed, 65% of those reporting not having being paid, also reported of having being held against will. In the vast majority of cases, reported unpaid work situations happened in Libya and to a much lesser extent in Algeria.

Individuals who were forced to work: 47% of respondents stated they had been forced to work or perform activities against their will. Nearly all of these events were reported to have taken place in Libya, with others also in Algeria, Niger, Sudan and Egypt.

Individuals approached with a work offer3: 10% of the migrants reported having being approached during the journey by someone offering employment. This happened in the majority of cases in Libya, but also in Algeria, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Niger.

Individuals offered a marriage arrangement: less than 1.5% of all respondents reported having been approached with offers to arrange a marriage (for the respondent or for a close family member). This is the only indicator where women were more likely to respond positively than men (4.5% versus 0.8%).

Other observed experiences by migrants along the route: Offer of cash in exchange for blood, organs or body parts: around 5% of all respondents reported to know of instances where people on the journey have been approached by someone offering cash in exchange for giving blood, 3% stated there were instances of cash offered in exchange for organs, and 1% for body parts. Overall, almost 6% of all respondents reported to know or to have experienced one of the instances described: some migrants reported that blood was taken against their will and in a condition of captivity, others that trafficking in organs was known to be a possibility to pay one leg of the journey. Libya and Egypt were reported by most, with fewer cases also in Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Turkey and Uganda.

Profile of migrants who answered “yes� to at least one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices questions, based on their direct individual experience: Nationality4: highest rates of positive responses are found among migrants who are nationals of Ghana, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Guinea Bissau (between 90 and 93%), followed by migrants from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Mali, Comoros, Togo, Bangladesh (all above 81%).

Age: almost half of all positive responses (49%) come from migrants between the ages of 18 and 25, with the mean age of sample being 22.4 and the median age 21. Among migrants with no positive responses on exploitative practices, mean age is 22.8 and the median age is 21. Overall, adults are more likely then adolescent youth (aged 14-17) to report positive responses (71.5% versus 69%).

____________________ 2

This indicator-question refer to the migrants are refugees who were either not paid at all for the work done, or they were paid only a part of the amount agreed.

3 This is a proxy indicator for potentially exploitative practices, as shows how frequently people are trying to procure labour or services from extremely vulnerable individuals in transit.

4 Only national groups with 10 or more respondents were considered.

4

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond ď‚&#x;

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

Sex: on average, the rate of positive responses to at least one indicator of the trafficking and other exploitative practices is higher for men (74%) than for women (47%). The difference between men and women is particularly striking in the case of work without pay (55% versus 16%) and in the case of forced work (51% versus 20%), while it is smaller in the case of being held in captivity (reported by 52% of men and by 33% of women). A noticeable exception is that of offers to arrange a marriage, which is reported by almost 5% of interviewed women and less than 1% of men.

Travelling mode: the highest rates of positive response are found among those travelling alone (73%) and those travelling with non-family members (71%); migrants travelling with at least one family member reported a positive response in 56% of the cases. Migrant women are more likely to travel with a family member than men (28% versus 8%).

Secondary migration movements: 79% of migrants who have spent more than a year in a country different from that of nationality show higher rates of positive responses to trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators than the rest of the sample (68%). Highest proportion of respondents who made secondary migration movements are found among Syrians, Moroccans, Pakistanis, Malians, Eritreans, Ghanaians and Somalis. Libya is reported as departure country, after more than 1 year without moving, by around one fifth of the total sample.

Length of the journey: coherently, longer journeys are associated with a higher rate of positive responses to at least one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators. Migrants who left their departure countries more than 6 months prior being interviewed responded positively in 83% of the cases, while those who left between 2 weeks and 3 months responded positively in 53% of the cases.

5

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond 

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ROUTE This section presents results of the DTM Flow Monitoring Survey conducted from June until September 2016 in Greece, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Hungary.

Main findings: 14% of individuals answered “yes” to one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators, based on their own direct experience 0.8% of respondents had a member of their family travelling with them, who experienced situations captured by one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators 5% of respondents responded positively to at least 2 of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators The experiences captured by the human trafficking and other exploitative practices prevalence indicator questions are reported by respondents as mostly taking place in Turkey, but also in Greece and Bulgaria.

Direct experience of respondents: Individuals who were held against their will: 6% of respondents reported being held at a location against their will during their journey by parties other than any relevant governmental authorities.

The rate of positive responses of men is higher (7%) than that of women (2%), in the case of this indicator. The interviewees specified that instances when they were kept against their will include captivity and restrictions to physical movement, but also kidnapping. The smugglers were indicated to play a role into this process. The events are reported to take place in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Turkey.

Individuals who were not paid the agreed amount for their work: 7% reported having worked or performed other activities during the journey without getting the payment they thought they would get. There was a much lower rate of positive responses of women (1%) than that of men (8%).

Individuals who were forced to work: 4% reported that they had been forced to perform work or other activities against their will during their journey. Almost all respondents (76%) who mentioned that they were forced to work reported Turkey as the location.

Individuals approached with a work offer: 3% reported being approached during their journey by someone offering employment. Turkey and Greece were the main countries in which migrants and refugees mentioned that they received offers of employment.

Individuals offered a marriage arrangement: 2% of all respondents reported having been approached with offers to arrange a marriage (for the respondent or for a close family member).

Women were much more likely to respond positively than men (5% versus 0.8%).

Other observed experiences of migrants and refugees on the route: Offer of cash in exchange for blood, organs or a body part: 1% of all respondents reported to know of instances where people on the journey have been approached by someone offering cash in exchange for blood, organs or a body part. These instances were reported to happen in five countries: Turkey, Greece, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia.

6

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond 

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

The profile and experiences of the respondents who answered “yes” to one of the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicator-questions, based on the respondents’ own experience on the Eastern Mediterranean route: Nationality: Highest rates of positive response are amongst Moroccans (18%), Algerians (18%), Afghans (15%), Syrians (12%) and Iranians (12%).

Age: Positive response rates are higher for adolescent youth (18%) than for adults (12%). The mean age of those who respond positively is 27 years old, while median age is 25 years old – which is lower than the average age of respondents who did not respond positively to the indicators (where 28 years is the mean and 26 the median).

Sex: Rates of positive response to a trafficking or other exploitative practices indicator are slightly higher amongst men (9% of women responded positively, and 15% of men), with exception of offers to arrange marriage. Approximately 5% of respondents who were women got an offer to arrange marriage, while the rate for men was under 1%.

Travelling mode: Migrants and refugees travelling alone had a much higher rate of response (27%) to the indicators than those respondents who travel in a group (10%). From those travelling in a group, most positive responses were given by those who travelled with non-family members.

7

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond ď‚&#x;

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

THE CONTEXT OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ROUTES Migrants and refugees surveyed along the Central Mediterranean route reported much higher rates of positive responses to at least one of the trafficking or other exploitative practices prevalence indicators (71% for individual experiences), than migrants and refugees interviewed along the Eastern Mediterranean route (14%).

Different characteristics of the journey to Europe and of migrants’ and refugees’ profile interviewed on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Central Mediterranean routes can explain the observed difference in rates of positive answers to the trafficking and other exploitation indicators.

Profile of migrants and refugees interviewed: The main national groups that use the Central Mediterranean route and the Eastern Mediterranean route are different. While the top nationalities of respondents in Italy were Nigerians, Eritreans, Gambians, Senegalese, Sudanese, Egyptians (59% in total), in Eastern Mediterranean route they were Afghans, Syrians, Pakistanis, and Iranians (75% in total). The range of countries from which people travel was more diverse along the Central Mediterranean route. 38 different nationalities were recorded among those surveyed in Italy, while 25 different nationalities were recorded among migrants and refugees travelling along the Eastern Mediterranean route.

The Eastern Mediterranean Route is generally used by migrants and refugees travelling with a group who indicate that they left their countries of origin or habitual residence because of war or political reasons. On the Central Mediterranean route, the majority of respondents left because of war or political reasons (63%) and economic reasons (21%), while 11% reported limited basic services as a reason for leaving and the remaining 5% reported other reasons for leaving. On the Eastern Mediterranean route, a similar percentage of respondents left because of war and conflict (65%), 27% mentioned economic reasons, and 8% reported other reasons.

The average age of respondents on the Central Mediterranean route is lower (22.5 years) than the average age of respondents in Eastern Mediterranean route (27 years). In addition, the majority of respondents interviewed on the Central Mediterranean route was single (81%), and the rest married (18%), or widowed (under 1%), or divorced (under 1%). On the Eastern Mediterranean route over half of respondents were either married or divorced.

72% of migrants and refugees interviewed on the Central Mediterranean were travelling alone, as compared to only 22% of migrants and refugees that use Eastern Mediterranean route. Moreover, the majority (60%) of those respondents who were travelling with a group along the Eastern Mediterranean route, were travelling with their families.

8

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond ď‚&#x;

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

The migration route and the length of the journey Migrants and refugees interviewed on the Eastern Mediterranean route reported a longer journey to Europe that involves different means of transport and longer transit in more than one country. For example, 34% of respondents surveyed in Italy left their country of origin or habitual residence more than 6 months before the survey was conducted and 24% left the country between 3 and 6 months before the survey was conducted. The remaining 42% left between 2 weeks and 3 months or less then 2 weeks before the survey was conducted. Respondents on the Eastern Mediterranean route have travelled in different circumstances: almost half of respondents (47%) left between 3 and 6 months prior to the survey was conducted and 33% left more than 6 months before the survey was conducted. In total, approximately 80% of respondents spent 3 months or more on the journey.

Migrants and refugees interviewed on the Eastern Mediterranean route also reported higher estimated cost of their journey. 32% of migrants and refugees on the Eastern Mediterranean route reported the estimated cost of their journey more than 5,000 USD per person, as compared to 11% of respondents surveyed on the Central Mediterranean route. The breakdown of the reported cost of journey by respondents travelling along two routes is presented on the graph below.

Context in the transit country prior to crossing into Europe Migrants interviewed on the Central Mediterranean route typically arrive from Libya as the last transit country, followed by Egypt. The majority of events reported by respondents when they respond positively to the trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators are reported to happen in Libya. On the Eastern Mediterranean route, migrants and refugees interviewed arrive from Turkey, where most of the events in the case of positive responses to the indicators are reported to happen.

9

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond ď‚&#x;

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

Destination countries There is a significant difference between the countries of intended destination that respondents travelling along Central and Eastern Mediterranean routes reported.

Approximately half (55%) of migrants and refugees interviewed along the Central Mediterranean route reported Italy as their intended country of destination. Others reported destinations were Germany (9%), United Kingdom (6%) and France (3%). 13% of the respondents didn’t have any specific destination in mind. The remaining share of migrants (14%) reported 11 other different destinations in Europe.

The countries of intended destination also vary among different national groups within the flow. Italy is the preferred destination country for the majority of Nigerians (71%) and Gambians (72%). However Eritreans reported the United Kingdom (23%), Germany (20%) and other countries in Northern Europe as their intended destination.

Almost half of migrants and refugees (49%) interviewed along the Eastern Mediterranean route reported Germany as their intended country of destination. Amongst the top five nationalities of the respondents, Germany is the preferred destination for the majority of Afghans (65%), Syrians (82%), and Pakistanis (38%). However 78% of Iranians mentioned other European countries as their preferred destination.

10

Mixed Migration Flows in the Mediterranean and Beyond ď‚&#x;

Flow Monitoring Data Analysis | 6 OCTOBER 2016

METHODOLOGY The survey is conducted by IOM field staff in locations of entry, transit, and exit in Hungary, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Greece. The survey in Italy is conducted in entry and transit points in the Sicily Region, including in 3 out of 4 hotspots currently operating in the country (Lampedusa, Trapani and Pozzallo). The hotspots are first reception facilities with high capacity for the purpose of identification and registration of migrants soon upon arrival. Respondents are approached in an ad hoc manner by IOM field staff, with those who give their consent to be interviewed proceeding with the remainder of the questions. The sample is therefore not random and, as with all surveys of this kind, this can lead to selection bias. Those willing to respond to this survey are more likely to be young adult males and this group is therefore overrepresented.

The surveys are fully anonymous and provide strong evidence of the kind of enabling environment within which trafficking and associated forms of exploitation and abuse thrive, as well as a picture of the vulnerability of migrant populations and the risks they face. If, while conducting the survey, interviewers come across people with likely protection needs, those people are referred directly to the relevant protection actor.

The original survey is designed to capture data which includes: the socioeconomic background of respondents; the routes that they have taken; their region of origin within their last country of habitual residence; their reasons for leaving their last country of habitual residence; what their intended country of destination is; and, who they are travelling with. Five additional questions have been added to the standard 18-question survey, to generate indicators of the prevalence of human trafficking and other exploitative practices for the sample. The Human Trafficking and Other Exploitative Practices Prevalence Indication Survey therefore includes 21 questions translated into Arabic, Dari, Pashtu, Urdu, Somali, French, Farsi, Kurdish and Tigrinya. The details of the indicators of human trafficking and other exploitative practices indicators are below.

The human trafficking module was developed to capture information about whether or not the respondent has, during their journey: Worked or performed activities without getting the payment they expected Been forced to perform work or activities against their will Been approached by someone offering employment Been approached by someone offering to arrange a marriage (for the respondent or anyone in his or her family) Been aware of instances where migrants/refugees en route had been approached by people offering cash in exchange for blood, organs, or other body parts.

Been kept at a certain location against their will The survey structure has the advantage of the collection of data relating to the direct experiences of the primary respondent. This provides more reliable data that are easier to estimate prevalence with. The respondent is also asked a follow up question about whether that same question applies to any of his or her family members travelling with him or her on the journey, in order to capture the experiences of other migrants and refugees on the route.

The survey therefore captures some data beyond the experience of the primary respondent. Given that most respondents are men, the question in relation to arranged marriage is phrased to capture “for you or for a family member� as one, to avoid underreporting this important indicator. Due to how underreported blood or organ trafficking are, for this question respondents are asked whether they have heard of such offers being made to anyone travelling with their group.

Women and adolescent youth are relatively underrepresented in the sample. Women are somewhat less likely to provide a positive response to one of the indicators but this is most likely explained by the fact that women are less likely to be traveling alone and are more likely to be traveling with a spouse, children, or spouse and children. While the survey does not target minors, attempts to weight based on age generally do not produce differences in the rates of positive response to one of the human trafficking and other exploitative practices prevalence indicators.

The disadvantage of prioritizing collection of data relating to the direct experiences of the respondent is that experiences of family members are not reported in cases where the respondent has already answered affirmatively for him or herself.

11